


The Continuing Plight of One Jason Dean

by penguinpatrolerarmy



Series: The "Peculiar Case" Series [2]
Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood, Childhood Trauma, Death, Fluff, Gen, Magic, Memory Loss, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Selective Amnesia, Supernatural Elements, Telepathy, Vampire Family, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Werewolves, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2020-10-12 23:54:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20573021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinpatrolerarmy/pseuds/penguinpatrolerarmy
Summary: JD has finally settled into Sherwood, with hope to stay there for as long as possible. But this temporary calm becomes threatened when a series of supposed "Vampire Attacks" cause an uproar in the small, conservative town.[ON HIATUS DUE TO COMPUTER ISSUES]





	1. Here We Go Again

**Author's Note:**

> New Readers who didn't see the notice: This is a Sequel to another fic of mine; "The Peculiar Case Of One Jason Dean", and while I do recap some events (As it's been a full year since that fic concluded), I would recommend reading through the first story before starting with this one.

"Name?"

"Jason Fredrick Dean."

"Age and Date of Birth?"

"17 years of age, Late August."

"Late August?"

"I don't know the exact day, sir... We didn't celebrate too much."

The officer wrote away quickly on his clipboard, penning down every reply JD gave him.

"Mortal or Immortal?"

"Immortal."

It was nervewracking for him. The worst place for any immortal to be was always a police station, even if they didn't commit a crime... Of course, it was debatable if what JD did was a crime at all. In most cases, it would probably be considered self-defense... Though, the fact that he lied about it would probably get him a few months.

"Type?"

"V... _blood-sucker_, sir." He hated that term, he hated it just as much as any other vampire did... But, unfortunately, It wasn't legally recognized as the correct one.

The cop leaned back, looking all too comfortable for a wooden chair. "Now, Jason: Where were you on the night of Bud Dean's murder?" He asked.

A trick question, of course. The police highly suspected that it was a Suicide, though this detail was being kept from public as of now. Since JD happened to learn this; he could just played along and played dumb.

"I was at a cow farm with some friends, sir." Not technically a lie.

The cop raised his brow. "A cow farm you say?"

"Yes sir, I hadn't fed in 24 hours and was starting to grow restless... I was afraid if I were anywhere else I might've been a danger, so we drove out to a cow farm on the far side of town."

"I see... And, despite considering yourself a threat, you allowed these friends of yours to accompany you?"

JD nodded. "One of them is a telepath, the other was a charmer... They came on their own accord and said they felt perfectly capable of handling me should the worse happen."

"So, what happened next?"

"I drank some blood from a few different cows in my bat form. I was trying my best to not suck them completely dry... I hit a weird breeze after my 3rd cow and fell on the ground. There was a bunch of silver spools left laying around and I got tangled up. I couldn't change back and the wire was so tight that they couldn't unwound it. Tuck happened to be heading home at the time and offered to help... When he finally cut me free I was so drained of energy I just turned back and passed out."

The cop took a moment to copy all of this down. JD stared at the cuffs on his wrists. Yes, they had cuffed him; No, they didn't technically have a reason do do this... And No, he at no point had made any idication that he was a "Threat"... They just said it was /protocol/. The only thing he was thankful for was that they weren't silver; because that would be a terrible feeling to have in an interrogation room.

"How did you find out about your father?"

"One of my friends, Veronica, stopped by the next morning to tell him where I was. She said when she came by the place was full of cops... She told them she knew it was my house, and was the one who identified his body."

"Okay... Now, there was a Motorbike registered under Bud's Insurance that was found crashed through the front of the house. Do you have any idea how this may have happened?"

The reality? Heather had cast some charm on it to lead her and Tuck to the house... But, that went against the story.

JD nodded. "Yeah, it was my bike... I mean, it was his but... He didn't trust me enough with his car so I got the Bike... We didn't have the best relationship, and he'd always threaten to destroy anything I owned. I wouldn't be surprised if he did it himself, my keys were in the house at the time... But, if he didn't, then I wouldn't know who else could have."

The officer looked back at his notes. "So, do you care to elaborate more on yours and Bud's relationship?"

JD didn't fall for this... He knew what he was trying to do. "Are you asking me, or are you ordering me?"

The cop sighed. "I was asking you."

"I don't give out personal information regarding my family, sir." He replied.

The cop put down his pen. "Alright then... I have to go check on something with my colleagues." He stood up, leaving JD alone in the stuffy room. He slouched back in the chair, trying to ease himself... The hard part was over for now. He took a deep breath, letting himself ease.

He heard the door open behind him. JD turned his head, expecting to see the same officer...

But, instead, there stood Bud Dean... Alive and well.

JD practically feel out of his chair, his still bound hands making it near impossible to push himself off the ground. He felt a foot hit his face, and he was launched back into the corner... He felt his brain fall into a daze, repeating nothing but "Run, Run, Run"... But he couldn't, Bud had him trapped once again.

There was a pressure between his eyes, which sprung open immediately at the contact. Bud stared down at him, a sick twisted smile on his face... One that while JD was accustomed to, he never liked seeing. His breathing got shallower and quicker and more rapid. The room seemed to fall away into nothingness, like he and Bud were the only two things that even existed.

"Jason, Jason, Jason... When will you learn?"

He tried to fight out of it, he tried to will himself away someplace else... But nothing worked... All there was was pain and emptiness. All he could do was mutter "No No No No"

* * *

JD shot up straight, breathing rapidly. He could feel his world still spinning around and around. He fumbled around his nightstand, trying to locate the lamp. He managed to flick it on, and scanned the room...

There was a small desk which he could see Pancakes's cage (Pancakes, being nocturnal, appeared to be grooming himself). Below it sat two piles of clothes; One neatly folded and the other an absolute mess. Likewise, there was what appeared to be a half-constructed dresser opposite to the piles... And just to his side was the previously mentioned nighstand, which held what appeared to be some half-finished homework.

...Right, he wasn't with /him/ anymore. He was dead, and he'd been dead for a month. JD ran a hand through his hair, glancing at his alarm clock... 1:30 am. Same time, same shitty nightmare, just like every night since he killed Bud Dean.

He leaned back against his bedframe, trying to calm down... When that didn't work, he opted to pace around his bedroom. He wasn't even sure why he still bothered with the first step when the second was the only thing that helped. Maybe he hoped one day that would be all that it took to forget, but one day was certainly not today.

...Who's house was he in anyways? He looked around the room... He recalled waking up in it before, he'd been here last night too. In fact, he'd been here every night for the last month. But, being 17, there was no conceivable way he could own this house... Well, he could've probably bought it with a fake ID; But JD didn't know the first thing about real-estate-

A door opened and shut downstairs, the sound of which immediately snapped him away from this particular thought. JD glanced around the room, his eyes falling towards a tattered carpet on the ground before finally noticing on a baseball bat layed just under the bed. He grabbed it, held it to his chest, and slowly crept out. Somehow, this was familiar... Somehow, he'd been through this before... But he couldn't reason why that was.

He slowly made his way down the long hall, scouting from side to side as he went along. He keep himself quiet, fearing even the slightest of noised would put him in danger. He could hear footsteps nearby, lurking closer with every moment. JD rounded a corner, immediately seeing a figure. He swung-

They just barely dodged it.

"Woah, Kid It's me!"

JD Got a better glance at the person. He knew them, he wasn't sure how but he knew them... Tuck? Tuck, that was it... He looked over at JD, very concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"...I Don't Know..." JD mumbled, intending to finish it with an additional phrase. "-Who you are"; "-Where I Am"; "-What I'm Doing Here"... But all spoke true.

Tuck sighed, this being all the information he apparently needed. "I was worried about that... You alright? You're shaking like a dog."

JD hadn't even noticed this. Yet, at that comment, he became more hyper-aware of his own body. His legs felt like they were about to give out, and he could feel himself starting to sway slightly. Tuck must've seen it, too, because he slowly approached.

"I think you need to go back to bed, JD."

He didn't argue with that. Tuck outstretched his good arm, letting JD support his weight with it. They didn't go very quickly, but eventually made it back to JD's bed. They both sat on the mattress.

"Do you remember doing this yesterday?" Tuck asked him.

"... Did we do this yesterday?" JD questioned.

"We did. You said you had a nightmare about... him."

"Oh..." JD fell into another quiet. He honestly couldn't remember doing this last night. He thought maybe the dream felt familiar... But only because he'd lived the first half of it.

Maybe this was a recurring one.

"It was the same one wasn't it?" Tuck mumbled.

JD just gave a slow nod. The other Vampire slung his good arm over his shoulders, rubbing the furthest one.

"It'll go away eventually, you hear? It might take some time. It might not be a smooth process... But, you got a long life, and someday you'll look back on this and it won't hurt as much."

"... I want to believe that." JD mumbled. He wasn't sure if he could just yet, even if he could conceive it he wasn't sure if he trusted that idea. He tried to think of something to change the subject. "How did the meeting go today?"

Tuck had met with a Child Services Agency today, discussing his intent to foster JD until he was old enough to inherit his father's assets.

"It was miserable." Tuck said with a bit of a scowl, "They're honestly baffled by the fact that anyone would want to take in a vampire... Mind you, They think I'm mortal so if this does go through I'm gonna have to hear their endless sputterings about how I'm either extremely brave or extremely stupid."

JD shook his head. "Mortals suck."

"Yeah, they really do... But, we gotta buddy up to them for a while. Vampires can't foster or adopt in Ohio, even if the child is also a vampire."

"Don't ya mean 'Blood-Sucker'?" JD said with a sense of faux correction.

"Ugh." Tuck looked more tired somehow, "The day history forgets that word will be the day I can die peacefully." He paused a moment to ruffle JDs hair. "You want some food since you're awake?"

His stomach answered before he did. JD brought his legs to his chest, trying to hide his face in embarrassment. Tuck chucked for a moment.

"No shame in being hungry, kiddo. You want Cow, Pig, or Chicken?"

"Cow." He spoke more into his sleeves than to the other person. Tuck got up, leaving the room for a moment. JD watched him leave... He wasn't quite sure if he completely trusted Tuck yet, but he could at least say that they could be comfortable around each other... And that Tuck wasn't some monster that just wanted to use him for his immortality.

He hoped they'd let him stay here... He wasn't sure if he could handle moving into another house or another state or with another shit person who didn't really want him. He just wanted to stay in one place with the same people for once.

That's all he wanted more than anything.


	2. Here We Go Again

JD glanced around the room, his eyes falling towards a tattered carpet on the ground before finally noticing on a baseball bat layed just under the bed. He grabbed it, held it to his chest, and slowly crept out. Somehow, this was familiar... Somehow, he'd been through this before... But he couldn't reason why that was.

He slowly made his way down the long hall, scouting from side to side as he went along. He kept himself quiet, fearing even the slightest of noised would put him in danger. He could hear footsteps nearby, lurking closer with every moment. JD rounded a corner, immediately seeing a figure. He swung-

Tuck caught the bat in his hand, almost like he'd been expecting it. That's right, it was Tuck's house... JD looked at him for a moment, and He just looked back... He seemed grumpy, but softened after a few breaths.

"Did you have the dream again?" JD lowered the bat. How would he...

"...Oh... We've done this before." He mumbled.

Tuck nodded. "Yes, a couple of times. Do you remember?"

JD looked down for a moment. "I... Yes...I'm sorry."

"It's alright... You hungry?"

"Yeah."

Tuck gently took the bat away from JD, leading him downstairs like he'd done the previous night. Little bits of JD's memory started to come back to him now... Tuck had taken him in after everything... After the police ruled that Bud Dean's case was a suicide, After he sparked a huge debate as to whether it was "ethical" to stick a vampire into a foster system, and somehow even after nights and nights of this same event happening... Nights and Nights of having moments where his memory would just fail him all of the sudden.

... A lot had happened to him in the last month, and for most of it he had been recovering (or attempting to). In fact, it was his first day back at school tomorrow... No, today, it was technically tomorrow now. A part of him dreaded going back, But on the upside Veronica had been bringing him his homework so he wasn't too behind on anything... That was another thing to look forward too: more time with Veronica. Heather too, he supposed. They'd all sort of become friends now.

They finally reached the kitchen. Tuck opened the fridge and pulled out two bags.

"You want Pig or Chicken?" He asked.

"Pig." He'd had Chicken yesterday. Tuck handed him the blood sack, placing the other back into the fridge. JD got a brief glimpse at their stash. It was pretty low, they might have to go out and get more soon. It was going to happen eventually, he supposed. Lately, neither of them were really well enough to keep out of the house for long... Tuck only left to work his shift at Snappy Snack Shack, JD just stayed on the property whenever he went outside. Tuck had a busted up shoulder for most of the month, JD was still very underweight for his age (though starting to gain a little for once now that he was on a proper meal schedule). Tuck could barely keep awake in daylight (though he'd been getting better), JD couldn't handle being in town without being triggered by remnants of his Father's advertisements.

Tuck leaned back against the counter, looking over at JD. "You still wanna go back today?" He asked.

JD nodded. "Yeah... I mean, I have to eventually anyway."

"Well yeah but, It's eventual. You don't have to rush yourself into it, plus it'll be more difficult to keep up your meal schedule when you can't eat in front of people."

JD thought about this for a moment, then just shrugged. "I at least should try, right? Besides, I'll probably just end up eating outside on the dark side of the school."

"Whatever you say, kiddo." Tuck said, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder, "You want a ride later?"

"I kind of need one... My bike is still under police custody." The compound it'd been kept in was currently closed for an undisclosed reason, and they hadn't been able to get it back.

After JD had finished his midnight snack, the two went into their respective rooms. JD shut his door, watching Pancakes groom himself peacefully for a bit. He felt a bit guilty, taking up Tuck's space... The room was more built to be a study than a bedroom, and the architecture of it clearly showed. The bookshelves were built into the wall, with the desk facing a gloomy-looking window that'd been recently fitted with a red black-out curtain. Well, not quite fitted... It didn't cover the large arching top portions, but it covered enough to give JD some leeway to work around the sunlight.

He settled himself into his bed, wrapping his blankets around him tightly as though he were a mummy in a tomb. He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow, and while his body-clock was not built for it he may as well get some sleep while he can.

* * *

Usually, Veronica could count on one thing: The morning car ride being civil. It was something she actually looked forward to amidst the usually activities with the Heathers. This was usually the one that actually felt real and not just like everyday fodder... However, in recent days it had just become another place to gossip; and she was starting to loathe it. Maybe she should have expected it, it was far from the first time it had happened. But, a part of her would have liked to believe this would last.

"So, Veronica? How's that boyfriend of yours doing?" Heather Chandler said in her usual tone of voice.

Veronica groaned, keeping her eyes on the road. "We aren't dating... But, JD is fine. He's just still trying to settle into his new home and stuff."

Heather McNamara entered the conversation. "I think it's best you don't start, Dating him I mean... His dad was clearly loose in the head. He seems like he's no different."

"Not to mention the jewelry... If he's not insane, then he's just leading you on; Veronica."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't talk about what you don't know." She warned, eyeing McNamara through her mirror. She'd agreed to not talk about anything that had happened at the field that night, and Veronica was going to make sure she kept her word on that... The threat of having her memories taken away seemed like enough (especially after Duke had happily demonstrated on Kurt and Ram), but she liked to take her precautions.

Heather Duke peeked up from her book. "JD isn't that bad. He just doesn't like people all that much." She said quietly.

Chandler chuckled. "Doesn't like people? No wonder he lets you hang around him." Duke looked back at her pages, though Veronica could tell she wasn't going to be reading them this time. She pulled into the school lot and parked as neatly as she could manage. Chandler and McNamara left quickly, as they had something they needed to take care of... Veronica and Heather stayed behind for a moment.

"One day," Veronica muttered, "One day I'm going to rip that scrunchie clean out of her hair and tell her to go fuck herself."

Duke laughed. "Tell me before you do, I don't wanna miss that." They soon climbed out of the car, carefully walking across the lot.

"Do you think JD will be back in class soon?" Heather asked.

"Probably," Veronica replied, "He was looking better when I last visited... But Tuck said he's unsure about his diet right now."

Heather nodded. "Well, at least he cares about that. Has he been... better?" She hadn't gone over as often. Sure, she lived closer to there than Veronica did, but she usually was too busy with her schoolwork or going out with the rest of the clique (She was considered more vital to the group dynamic than Veronica, but only because her name was Heather).

Veronica didn't answer the question at first. "...I think being with Tuck instead of another Mortal family is helping a lot. But he avoids talking about Bud if it's about to come up."

"I don't blame him, I don't really wanna talk about Bud either."

Veronica shrugged. "Yeah I mean, Bud was just evil... I'm worried about him though. Those amnesia spells are getting more frequent."

Heather sighed. "Yeah... I'm still looking into it. Everything I've found so far just says that if it does go away, it will take a lot of time."

"Still... It'd be nice if there was something we could do to stop them."

"Well, we can't. All we can do is be there for him."

Veronica picked at a bit of dirt that had brushed onto her outfit. As frustrating as it was, Heather was right: This wasn't something that was likely to just go away. This was just something that they'd have to be patient with. She looked around and noticed a somewhat familiar car pull up near the front of the school. She and Duke stopped for a moment, watching to see if their suspicions would be confirmed. The car door opened, and out stepped a trenchcoat-clad figure.

* * *

JD looked up at the building for a moment, taking a breath. It felt weird, going back after only being there for 2 days, but then again it was a miracle that he was going back at all. Maybe he'd be alright; He didn't have any homework missing, and hopefully not too many tests to make up... The only thing that was really going to be bothersome were other students.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Tuck asked from the car.

JD turned his head. "Yeah."

Tuck nodded, readjusting a hat he was wearing. "Alright then... Do you want me to pick you up, too?"

He shook his head. "No, I can walk... You probably want to sleep anyways."

Tuck shrugged. "If you change your mind, just ring the house."

JD shut the door, watching as Tuck drove off. The car swerved just a bit, Which he expected given Tuck was tired... He'd be fine, he told himself, nothing was going to happen. And if it did it took more than a car crash to kill a vampire. JD took another breath, played with a button on his coat for a moment, and turned around on his heel. He saw two familiar faces as soon as he did.

He flashed Heather and Veronica a smirk. "Well, Greetings and Salutations to the both of you."

"It's good seeing you out of your room for once." Heather said.

"Good to see you at all for once." He replied.

Veronica pulled him into a hug. "How are ya feeling?" she asked.

JD shrugged. "Alright, I guess... Not great but, I felt ready enough to come back today so that's something."

Veronica smiled up at him, only letting go when she seemed confident he wasn't going to leave. He ruffled her hair a little, looking back up at the school... Now, if he could only enter it... It should be easy; just open the door that was right there and ready to go, but for some reason, he felt like there was a tug holding him back.

He felt a hand slip into his own. "You want to go in together?" Veronica asked. JD looked down at their hands for a moment, gently squeezing hers. He felt queasy, but at the very least he wouldn't be alone for a few moments.

"Sure."

One step forward, slowly but surely, they made their way into the school.


	3. A Day Out

JD mindlessly munched on a bag of pretzels he'd had stuffed in his pocket. He couldn't remember exactly where he'd gotten them, but they weren't stale... He didn't think they were anyways, he didn't eat pretzels enough to really know. But, they helped him not look like a vampire so he just chowed down. He scanned around the cafeteria, watching as everyone else went about their business.

The majority of his morning had been pretty bland... A quick talk from the guidance counselor about "shoulders to cry on" that he wasn't even half listening to, then turning in all the work he'd done while he was out to his first three teachers, and finally being stuck here... Not being able to sit with his friends because they were Heathers (even though one of them wasn't even named Heather). He locked eyes with Veronica for a brief moment. She seemed bored as she stared right back at him... They began to converse in their heads.

_You think they'd let me just hang around with you?' _she asked.

**I think you know the answer to that.**

_You could have humored me a little._

JD sighed with amusement. 'In that case: Yes. And Heather Chandler will donate her entire wardrobe to charity immediately after.'

He could see her trying to hide a few giggles. One of the Heathers who he wasn't well acquainted with gave her a light nudge, and she stopped.

**Do you even like them?**

_It depends on the kind of day we're having._

JD hummed. Veronica turned to talk to Heather Duke for a bit. They both looked back at him, then to each other.

_Heather wants to know if you wanna hang out after school._

**Oh, So Miss Popular doesn't have any college parties for you to prepare for?**

_Nah, she and David have a big date tonight and she doesn't want anyone doubling up... So we're free._

JD found himself smiling.

**Sure, I would love to hang out... Tuck said he needed me to be home at nightfall though, I think we're going scavenging tonight.**

_Alright... My car is in the same spot as last time._

The leader Heather caught her staring, pulling her aside as though about to scold her. JD frowned and reached into the bag, only to feel crumbs. He glanced into it, not seeing any more pretzels. Well, there went his entertainment for the rest of lunch. He went back to glancing around the room. Heathers with Heathers, Nerds with Nerds, Jocks with Jocks... Just the same as when he'd left.

And frankly, he wasn't sure what he thought of that. It was a weird thing, consistency. Change was a weird thing, too, in that same vein. You'd expect towns to look the same and for people to be different across all of them, but frankly JD found it to always be the opposite. Towns were wildly different, from the bustly night-hawks of Vegas to the bayou surrounded Baton Rouge... But People? People were always the same, a little scale. The worst of the people stayed on the top, a few lesser worse but still terrible people falling in below them... And all the bottom portions scrambling to stay where they are but inevitably ebbing and flowing like a tide.

He slouched back into his chair, trying to find a way to pass the time. Let's see... He could count how many times the country club kids sneered at everyone who passed by... Or perhaps how many kids didn't give Martha Dunnstock a passing glance... Or maybe even how much cash Peter Dawson stole from the donation buckets to feed his own ass. Oh the possibilities were endless...

Yet, JD never managed to settle on one before the school bell rang. The rest of his classes came and went without much interest... And then came Flemming's class.

"So, Mr. Dean... We've all heard about you're father's suicide." The second he heard these words, he knew he was going to hate the rest of whatever came out of her mouth.

"Yeah well... He always liked destroying things, guess he ended up destroying himself too." JD mumbled, thinking if he played along for a bit it'd end sooner.

Flemming gave what he assumed was meant to be a nod of understanding. "And tell me, How does this make you feel?"

He just got through this with the social worker, he wasn't about to do it in school.

"I dunno. My mom killed herself, My dad killed himself, feels like I'm destined to do do the same." He mumbled. He wasn't sure why he said it this way, but he assumed it was for his own entertainment in watching Flemming get too excited over his answer.

Ms. Flemming, of course, ate this up like soup. "Well, We're all masters of our own Destiny; Jason. You're the only one who can break the cycle. Try to take that responsibility seriously."

"That bicycle's not the only thing that's gonna be broken." Ram Sweeney grumbled from behind him. JD wasn't sure where he should correct him: The bicycle part or the part where he failed this class the previous year... If all else failed, he could spook them again. Though maybe he didn't want to. He knew Heather and Veronica had wiped their memories, and truthfully he didn't want to trouble them with that again. As much as he hated Kurt and Ram, he didn't really want to wish repeat-memory wipings on other people. Though, Technically JD wasn't a person... And Technically he didn't consider them People.

"You know, I've inherited a pretty well-established Deconstruction company... Maybe I could make your house collapse in on itself."

He couldn't see the reaction, but he didn't have to. "Just for that, we're breaking two bones, one in each arm." Kurt Kelly snapped.

"Good luck with that." He said this as though it were sincere, though the reality was he didn't give a single shit. And his caring was even less by the time the class had ended. He managed to avoid Kurt and Ram entirely, slipping into the halls and letting the crowds and shadows cover him.

His last period wasn't too eventful... Some kids managed to get his teacher to start talking about his life problems and how his wife left him or something that JD admittedly drowned out in favor of doodling on a piece of lined paper. He managed to finish an actually detailed picture of his hamster when the final bell of the day rung itself, carefully folding it in his pocket to admire later as he walked outside.

JD pulled his collar closer to his neck, trying to block a breeze blowing by. It was getting chillier now, but then again November was generally a cold month. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking up at the sky. He often heard day-dwellers talk about how they love the night sky. The glow of the moon, the shimmering stars, the way the cities were more bright than ever…

But, since he was made for the night sky, he felt the opposite. It was a dangerous idea, given the sun could kill him if he weren’t protected properly, but he couldn’t help himself. He liked the textures of the clouds, he liked the pretty blue of the day, he liked looking at the unlit neon signs on the streets meant for late evenings. Even if he'd never admit it to anyone. He wasn't sure exactly why… If you asked him he’d just shrug and say “They’re nice.” And it was one of the only reasons he had anymore to stay up during the day. Besides his new friends, of course.

He waited by Veronica’s car, tapping his foot. He silently wished he had a cigarette, but the thought left as soon as it came. He did have some, they technically couldn't kill him since his lungs functioned differently, but he didn't really have a reason to light one at the moment. No jittery nerves, no father to track him down… For the first time in a long time, young Jason Dean didn’t have to worry too much.

And, as much as that was relieving… a part of it felt empty. If he didn’t have to worry, what else could he do?

“Hey.” JD turned, His eyes meeting Veronica’s.

“Hi.” He replied.

“You ready to go?” Heather Duke piped from behind. JD just gave a simple nod, and the three of them piled together into the car... Aimlessly heading into town. He didn't know the area really, he'd never stayed anywhere long enough to have to learn that, but now he was faced with the reality that he'd have to learn more than where he lived and where the nearest Snappy Snack Shack was. He tried to pick out odd landmarks as they went along... A bent sign, a brick building overgrown with moss, a weird looking tree... Anything that would help him familiarize it.

"So, anything specific you wanna do JD?" Veronica asked from the driver seat. JD thought over it, then shrugged.

"You guys know the area, I trust your judgment."

Veronica gave him a brief look, then turned to park along one of the sidewalks. "There are a few stores around here you might like, if you don't mind walking."

JD smiled. "I've been cooped up in Tuck's house for the last month, walking sounds really nice."

The three of them wandered around the area, going in and out of a few local venues. For the most part, they just browsed along... Heather and Veronica occasionally made small purchases, but JD just kept his hands in his coat. Truthfully, despite inheriting a lot from his father, he didn't really feel like buying anything...

At least, until Veronica and Heather brought him over to a pet store. He didn't care much for buying for himself... But he'd buy for Pancakes, someone he did care about. He glanced around the aisles, observing a few different cages, toys, and even other pets that were available to buy.

"Maybe you could get him a cage-mate?" Veronica offered. JD cringed.

"You're not supposed to house hamsters together, they get territorial... And horny." He said, picking out a set of chewing blocks and some softer bedding material. Then, he saw it. A very large cage. It was labeled as being for guinea-pigs, but JD could tell by looking at it if Pancakes were inside of it he would still be well contained.

Veronica walked up beside him. "Whatcha thinking about?" she asked.

"Well, I always kept my hamsters in a small cage cause we were moving around so much." He mumbled, "But since I'm not moving out of town now..." His hand was slightly lifted, almost as though hesitating to grab it. Veronica smirked at him.

"If you don't buy it, I will for you." She teased.

He rolled his eyes, laughing a little. "Alright, but you gotta help me find more stuff to put inside of this... I don't think what I have already is going to suffice his enrichment needs."

* * *

A few hours later; JD, Veronica, And Heather were all hanging around in JD's Bedroom. Pancakes, likewise, was happily exploring and foraging around his new habitat without any care in the world (Though, one could say he was grateful for the larger space and therefor did care). The teenagers, however, took to discussing some homework assignments and eventually switching topics to a Book that apparently had been assigned while JD was gone (One JD had read, though not for school work).

"I agree with Heather, Holden had a lot of unchecked internal issues that developed as a result of his parents' neglect... AND a lot of his actions are for the most part manifestations of those issues meant as self-sabotage." JD piped.

Veronica huffed. "I didn't say I /disagreed/; I just said I felt frustrated cause he seemed to have recognized that these were issues while they were happening and should have gotten help a lot sooner than he did."

"That may be," Heather interjected, "But remember: The book is a recollection by a narrator, that being Holden, an undetermined amount of time after the fact. Him being the narrator does bring some unreliability, given it's a biased point of view, and we just have to take his word on certain things. If Holden says he didn't realize he needed help until later then that's when it happened as far as we are to be concerned."

Tuck suddenly popped in, having apparently overheard some of the conversations. "_Slight Rebellion_ or _Catcher_?" He asked. His question was met with a chores of _Catcher_'s. Tuck just gave a quick nod. "Yeah, I remember Salinger... Scrappy kid. I Taught at his University before the War. Wasn't surprised in the slightest when Holden fucked off out of his prep-school."

JD turned his head. "Did you serve?"

"I was drafted, but they deemed me unfit for combat... Something about me 'Drinking from the Dead' when they weren't looking... Why?"

JD Shrugged. "My grandpa served, Thought you might've known him."

"Sorry, 'fraid not."

"How old were you?" Veronica asked, interrupting.

"Let's see." Tuck mumbled, "I was drafted in January of '42... So I was 48- No, 47 years old. I looked about the same as I do now though, that's how they caught on."

She began counting on her fingers. "So you're like, exactly 100?"

"Just about, yeah... Once you've faked your death you kind of lose track though."

This comment was met with surprise and disbelief. "Faked your Death?" JD piped.

"Yeah... I mean, it's easier to just do that than deal with all the looks you get when you tell mortals you're thrice older than you look. As far as anyone outside of this room is concerned, I'm 25."

It became apparent that neither of the teens had considered this before. Sure, it was fairly common among immortal groups, especially those like Vampires who were considered dangerous... But really, once someone faked it you never really were sure if they were truly _faking_ it unless they remembered to call you. That's how the Sawyers worked... The house had been passed down for years, each belonging to someone who is still very much alive until it was time to leave.

Tuck shifted, glancing over at a wall. "It's getting late... Me and JD should be heading out soon to scavenge."

Veronica glanced at her watch. "Yeah, I don't have a curfew but I think I'll humor my parents and come home at a relatively reasonable time."

Heather gave a chuckle. "Yeah, hope mine don't expect this to be a regular thing."

JD Gave both of them pats on the shoulder. "I'll walk you two out then."

"My my, what a gentleman." Heather teased. The three of them shared a laugh, joking back and forth a few more times as they approached the front door. Tuck had stayed back, though to do what exactly neither of them particularly cared. They were too invested in their own lives at the moment, and alright with that.

Veronica pulled out her car keys, looking over at JD. "You have a good first day?"

He thought for a moment, letting that familiar smirk of his spread across his face. "Better than I expected." He settled on.

"Well, we'll see you around tomorrow... Maybe we can try to meet before school again."

"Yeah? That'd be nice." The word nice kept going over and over again in his head. It wasn't one he used often to describe events. But, it was a chance he was glad to accept.  
JD stood back, watching as his friends drove off and vanished around the bend. He took in the night sky; The vaguely off-grey clouds, the slight glimmer of the stars, and the just a few days shy of being full moon. It was one he usually observed from a window, one that reminded him of many nights of moving and running and... Something. Something that still just escaped his memories.

He huffed, about to turn around. But Tuck had already materialized behind him, a bag slung over his good shoulder.

"You ready to head out? We got a lot of ground to cover."

JD took a breath. "Yeah, Let's go."

They took a running start, their forms molding and melding as they flew off to their first site.


	4. Foraging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JD and Tuck are out for blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So last time me posting two chapters at once was a mistake, which is why this took a little longer to update as I no longer had the leeway of another chapter. But, I hope y'all didn't mind it.
> 
> TW for needles and a panic attack

The winds whipped and whistled in the cold November air as the two Vampires got down to work. Tuck held the tube still, making sure it stayed at the right angle. The cow hadn't even really noticed they were drawing out its blood... Content with slumber.

“It's nice having help doing this for once.” He hummed as they waited for the bag to fill. "I haven't had much company from other Vampires since I moved out here."

"I'd imagine..." JD mumbled, "Why did you move here anyway? You said yourself this place isn't kind to folks like us."

Tuck sighed, silent for a moment. "Well, my whole family is kind of big, kind of scattered about... I'm the youngest of my parent's kin right now, and I felt kind of buried. I don't hate them, but I just kind of needed my space. Ohio was fairly barren... Though, now I see why."

JD took in the information for a moment. Is that how people with big families really felt? His family had only ever been himself and his parents... He always sort of wished he had siblings, or cousins or uncles or someone else. "Ever think about leaving?" He asked.

Tuck shrugged. "Of course, but I'm too stubborn... I moved myself out here, I ought to ride it out for a while. I know most of the few other Immortals who are around these parts, I know where the nearest hideaway is, and I know how to take care of myself... I always figured I'd be okay as long as I can keep a low profile."

They were quiet for a moment. JD stared down at the bag in his hands, watching it fill up with blood at a fairly nice pace. He could almost eat it right now, but then that'd just slow them down. “It’s uh, It's nice being around another Vampire for once.” He admitted.

Tuck nodded. “What was it like?”

“Huh?”

“Being around mortals? Being raised by them?”

JD thought over it for a bit. “I guess... I always knew I was different from them, even before my vampire traits started showing. But, I guess I always sort of saw myself as the same, too. And it was hard cause, He knew I was different, I knew I was different, but instead of acknowledging, that difference meant something he just... He made me hate it."

“…That must’ve been hard.”

“It was manageable... I guess. I wanna say that It didn't use to be as bad, cause when my mom was around things were less... He didn't act like he did when you saw him, he wasn't as intense. But, I don't know if I can trust those memories anymore.”

Tuck gave him a look of understanding. He pulled the needle out of the cow, walking JD over to another that was sleeping nearby, "You saw me do it, you give it a shot."

JD hesitated. "Isn't this unsanitary?"

Tuck waved an arm. "Their cows, they don't got antibodies against each other... Besides, our guts are made to filter and clean blood so It'd take more than that to wreck us up."

JD paused for a moment, then slowly took the needle. He ran his hand along the cow's fur, feeling around for some veins underneath... When He found one, he carefully pressed it in. The cow stirred, but just as soon calmed back down.

"Okay, now the valve..." Tuck reminded. JD turned the valve on, watching blood slowly get sucked into the tubing, swirling round and round into the pint-sized bag in Tuck's arms. The older vampire ruffled his hair. "Nice job, kid!"

JD smirked a little, petting the cow for a bit. Then, he heard something in the distance... Laughter. Tuck pulled him down, both of them hidden behind the cow. He peeked over, observing the scene. There was a group of three in the distance.

"Who is it?" JD asked.

Tuck sneered a bit. "Bunch of Teenagers, Mortals I think."

JD peeked over, getting a good look at them. "I think they go to my school."

"I assume they aren't friendly?"

JD shook his head. "No, Asshole Jocks... And one of the Heathers that isn't nice."

The two of them observed Kurt, Ram, and Heather for a moment. The two jocks snuck up on one of the sleeping cattle, laughing to themselves as Heather just stood there somewhat bored. Then, they shoved it over, watching as it struggled and spazzed around on the ground.

"Ugh, cow tippers, makes me sick," Tuck commented. But, JD barely heard it over the sound of something else... Something that had just rushed back to him.

...

_"Kurt look there's a little bat stuck to it, man."_

_"Shit, yeah... Let's tip em both, It'll get all freaked out."_

_JD hissed again, snapping his jaw in their direction. The two just laughed._

_"Heather come look at this fucking thing, he thinks he's all tough and shit."_

_..._

JD pulled his hair, hunching over as a piercing headache shot through his brain. His vision felt clouded, the few faint greens and browns he could see in the low lighting becoming and obnoxiously bright shade of blue. Tuck knelt, trying to make eye-contact with him.

"What's wrong?"

JD tried to speak, but could only stammer out a few incoherencies.

...

_"Hey, I think we should go." He stammered._

_"Yeah, that'd be a good idea," Veronica replied._

_"Go? Before we've even been introduced?" A third voice said._

_JD and Veronica turned around... Bud Dean stood there, high and mighty... And smelling of ash._

_"Say, Son... You were supposed to be home a few hours ago, weren't you?"_

_JD suddenly became more jittery than he'd been in his life. Yet, despite his shaking, he kept himself between his Father and Veronica. He wasn't letting anyone else get hurt by him._

...

JD shut his eyes, whining a bit. "St-stop, please... Don't hurt her." Tears fell from his face, and suddenly he found it becoming increasingly hard to breathe. Tuck dropped the bag, the tube falling to the ground with it. JD was pretty sure the needle had been pulled out, but his head was so garbled and panicked that he wasn't sure.

"JD, hey it's alright. No one's getting hurt."

JD shook. "No he's coming, He's coming..." He insisted, "We gotta get out of here." It was strange, earlier he felt absent without this same worrying... And now that it was back he'd suddenly remembered why he hated it so much. Why it was good he didn't feel that way, even if he didn't feel good about it.

Tuck looked over him a moment, then back to the others laughing in the distance. "Okay, we got enough Cow blood. We can leave." He quickly began to pack up their supplies, giving JD another look over. "But before we do, can you name three things you can see right now?"

JD looked around. "Um... The cow, The trees, and um... I see you?"

Tuck smiled at him. "I see you too, JD. Um, what about smell?"

JD took a few sniffs. "Mud, Blood, and um..." He sniffed again. "I think it's gonna rain later."

"Good, Good," Tuck took another glance over his shoulder, "Um, Okay... Three things you can feel?"

JD paused a moment, taking a few deep breaths. "The Cold... My Coat... A Bead of Sweat running down my neck."

Tuck patted his shoulder. "How do you feel? Mentally this time."

JD sniffed. "A little better. Not as garbled." He rubbed his hands against his coat, focusing on the texture for a moment.

"Do you wanna go to another farm? Or do you wanna head home?"

"I think I'll be okay if we go somewhere else," JD replied, "Just not here... Not now."

Tuck nodded. "Alright, the place I get my pig supply from isn't too far. Let's go."

They once more flew off, managing to avoid any glances from the other group of teenagers. JD thought he heard them yell something from below, but didn't think too hard about it... He just wanted to forget it happened and moved on. But, Ironically, that was hard for him to do. He just stared on ahead, swooping behind Tuck and following him not unlike a stray puppy. He found a temporary laugh in his throat when he remembered baby bats were also called pups, but otherwise, he just tried to let his head clear itself.

* * *

The pig farm, thankfully, had gone much better... It was a very quick in and an even quicker out (Someone had almost seen them)... They'd ended up skipping over the chicken farm, not because they didn't want Chicken but because they'd both felt rather exhausted by that point. It wasn't too urgent what kind they had, they could always go out to collect more.

Though, upon reaching Home, Tuck understandably asked JD about what had happened. And the teenager did his best to explain it.

"It was the same field only it was just Me, Veronica, and Heather... Then those same three showed up while I was feeding off a cow, and tried to pull my fangs out. Then, I turned back and got away... But My dad was there... and he was gonna hurt us and..." He held his head in his hands, the headache worsening again.

"JD, deep breathes," Tuck mumbled, "You don't have to tell me any more, okay?"

He nodded, curling further into his trenchcoat. "Why did it feel so real?" He wondered, shaking his head.

Tuck sighed. "That night, when we killed him... Heather had gotten me, said you were at that farm, and that your Dad took you and Veronica. And, Veronica later said he wiped your memory while you were there... Maybe going back triggered whatever was blocking it to leave."

JD shook. "So, it did happen?"

"Yeah, but hey," There was a hand on his shoulder, "It's the past... He's dead, you got away from him... He can't hurt you anymore."

"...I mean, he is in a way." JD mumbled, "It's his fault I can't remember anything."

Tuck considered the words for a moment, shaking his head. "I can't say you're wrong about that." His voice seemed more sympathetic. He glanced over at the big grandfather clock by the doorway. "I gotta get to the Shack soon." He muttered, "You gonna be okay on your own for the rest of the night?"

The teenager nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Much to his surprise, this answer was met with another question. "Do you wanna go back to school tomorrow?"

JD thought over it genuinely. He wanted to, after all of that all he wanted was a normal school day. He could talk to Veronica and Heather about it, they could probably try to find answers for him, He could munch on some mortal food without much second thought... But at the same time, his brain was still dazed in a way that he wasn't sure could be slept off. He looked up at Tuck, then back down... A signal that he himself was just too uncertain to make a decision.

Tuck just gave him a nod. "Why don't you try to get some sleep, Okay? We can talk more about this in the morning."

"Okay." JD sighed, making his way upstairs.

"Hey, Kiddo?" Tuck called. JD stopped for a moment, looking back down at him. "We're gonna figure this out, I Promise."

JD went up to his room, feeling a bit nauseous. He'd eaten earlier, and he'd be good for a while, so it wasn't that. He thought over the feeling for a bit, and concluded that he just felt sick of Bud still managing to screw him over from beyond the grave. He stared into Pancake's cage. The hamster stared back up at him for a moment, even maintaining eye-contact. But, soon he went back to scoping around and even burrowed into the bedding.

JD sighed. "Well, at least you're okay." He told the rodent, "I don't think I could live with myself if he'd fucked you up, too."

He said it towards Pancakes, but really he meant it for a lot of people. For Veronica, not the first person to try and help him escape but the first to have succeeded with it. For Heather, who without JD wouldn't have known anything about breaking the charm that held him to his father. For Tuck, who'd been generous enough to take him in and just let him be what he was: A Vampire.

He curled under his blankets, nuzzled his face in his pillows, and tried to ignore the moon's beckoning so he could fall asleep.

* * *

Somehow, He hadn't had his nightmare last night. He thought he would, given the stress he'd gone through... But, maybe he'd been so stressed out an exhausted that his brain couldn't be bothered to bring it up. He wasn't sure, but he was a little grateful for it. He wasn't sure if he'd have been able to handle it after his panic-attack earlier that night.

He got out of bed and walked downstairs, scratching a spot on his hip that he'd laid on weirdly. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he noticed Tuck in the TV room... Watching some news story.

“What’s going on?” He asked, figuring something was up. Tuck looked over, his expression somehow saying everything as JD now noticed the headline:

** _WESTERBERG STUDENT FOUND DEAD, VAMPIRES SUSPECTED._ **


	5. The Begining of a Very Bad Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Heather Chandler is Dead as a Doornail

JD ended up sitting next to him, watching the broadcast nervously.

"-Police Identified the body as Heather Chandler, daughter of Marvin Chandler... Who holds a seat on the city council. Cause of death is believed to be blood loss, and bite marks were found on the victim's neck. While it is suspected to be a vampire attack, the investigation is still too early to tell. If anyone at home has any information, call this number."

A 1-800 hotline flashed on the screen. Tuck shut it off, the two of them sitting in silence.

"That wasn't... Was it?"

"No, No... Our Heather is Heather Duke... This is a different Heather."

JD paused thoughtfully for a few minutes, letting his head settle. "You still wanna drive me to school?" 

Tuck gave him a surprised look. "I would've thought you'd want to stay home."

The teen shrugged. "It'll be worse for me if I do. I already wear a long coat, if I happened to stay home after a supposed vampire attack it'll look worse." He didn't think too many suspected he was one, given he could walk into the sun fine as long as he had his coat. But, Vampires just carried with them their Vampire essence. People couldn't tell they were vampires at an instant glance, but they'd still hold their assumptions and heads high.

Tuck seemed to mull over the answer for a bit, but gave an understanding nod. "Alright, I might call in sick from work tonight myself... If that murderer is really out there I don't fancy myself getting accidentally caught up in that mess." 

It was understandable. JD looked down at the wood flooring for a moment. "...We're not going anywhere, are we?" 

"Not if it can be helped." Tuck replied. 

"Okay." He took a deep breath, exhaling his anxieties. They were staying, they weren't gonna just move all of the sudden. Some might call them dumb for it, but JD honestly wasn't sure if he could handle the emotional turmoil of leaving another town just as he was starting to get comfortable. 

He glanced over at the old Grandfather Clock, just a few feet away from them. "I'm gonna go get dressed."

Tuck seemed to flinch, as though pulled from his own thoughts. "Oh, right right... you go do that."

JD went back upstairs, back to his bedroom... Well, truthfully it was more furnished to be a study... But he had a bed and a dresser so, as far as he was concerned, it was a bedroom. He found himself just standing there for a moment, letting his brain process everything.

Heather Chandler, the most popular girl in school, was dead; The current investigation pointed to Vampires; And, as far as the authorities were concerned, JD was the only known vampire in town. On top of that, He'd murdered his father not long ago and was under investigation for that. He stared at Pancake's cage. But couldn't find him inside, meaning he was likely hiding away in his bedding...

Yeah, today was going to be hell. 

* * *

Veronica had been fidgeting all morning... By this point, the whole school had heard the news, either through television or their peers. The place had become rather unpleasant to be in...   
Crowds upon crowds all saying variations of the same thing:

"Those blood-sucking creeps all need to be kept under surveillance." 

It scared her, honestly... Vampires had only recently gained their right to privacy (Just a bit before Veronica was born), and even then JD's case was proof enough that just because it was illegal now, injustice still was a thing that happened too often. And, given Ohio's track record on these issues, she wouldn't be surprised if the town started to mob against them in the next coming days. 

She sighed... The world seemed just as broken as ever, and this only proved it. She couldn't even really say she was sad about Heather's death. One, she can't count how many times she wished death upon her... and Two, everyone was just making it about the vampires. It was like no one actually cared that she died, they just cared about forwarding their agenda. She noticed JD in the distance, mostly keeping to himself... 

_Hey_

**Oh... hi.**

_You alright?_

**I dunno.**

She frowned. _Do y__ou want to hang out for a bit before the funeral? Help ease your mind a little?_

**...Sure, but only because I think you need it more. You were the one who knew Heather, after all.**

Veronica was a bit surprised to hear that. She mostly wanted to comfort him, he was the one hearing indirect discriminations and death threats around him all day... Yet he wanted to help her instead, and she didn't even feel all that upset. But, the agreement had been made... Even if JD was going to attempt to put her first, she was going to get through to him.

* * *

When school had ended an hour early so everyone could attend the funeral, JD had been surprised to find Heather Duke tagging along. Not surprised she was with them but surprised because She seemed a bit more chipper. He did suppose, given the few times he saw them all together, Heather Chandler always considered her at the bottom of their ladder. So, now that she was gone Heather Duke must've found some freedom in that... And, suffice to say, she was bathing in pleasure.

They'd agreed to Go to Veronica's house, but presently were heading towards Tuck's so JD could maintain his diet schedule.

JD shrugged as they continued their conversation. "I mean, The immortality and aging stuff was accurate... But they still included the turning thing, which has always been just a myth." 

Heather sighed. "I guess, I dunno I just thought given your whole vibe you'd like The Lost Boys more."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't hate it, it's the most accurate depiction of us in media right now, but it's still iffy... We're still the villains. And we still aren't portraying ourselves."

Veronica butted in. "It's like what Carrie is for Telepaths, Heather." 

Heather nodded along. "Okay, I get that side of it." 

"Besides, Right now anything is better than-" JD found himself stopping once they got to the house. There was a police car out front, something he was hoping wouldn't happen and yet somehow he expected it as well... The officer glanced over at them, then turned back to talking with Tuck through the doorway. Then, he went back to his car and drove off.

Tuck gave the teens a glance as they walked into the house... It was an eerie quiet, the kind only known when Everyone wants to ask questions, yet at the same time knows what the answer will be. The only real acknowledgment given of what had happened was Tuck giving JD a quick pat on the shoulder and a look of empathy. 

JD just walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bag of blood from the fridge, and motioned to the other two that they could head out... Still, Veronica gave him a look. 

"Do you-"

"I don't." He muttered. What was there to talk about? The world was fucked up, maybe it'd always been... He wanted it to change just as much as the next Vampire or Telepath or Charmer, but the opportunities to do so were thin and far between.

Another thought came into JD's mind. "Hey, am I gonna have to dress up fancy for this funeral thing?"

Veronica shrugged. "If you can't then no, but you don't have to come."

"I think I will... Support for you guys since you actually knew her. And, if nothing else these small-brained folk will keep me off their suspect list for walking into a church. That's something they'd believe right?"

Veronica sighed. "Unfortunately."

* * *

The funeral itself had been, In JD's opinion, rather uneventful... which was saying something considering almost the entire school had shown up to this thing. Most of them didn't even seem that upset, they'd just sort of kept their heads bowed to give a small semblance of respect.  
Veronica had pointed out the Chandler's themselves, who looked just about like every Mortal couple he'd ever seen... But, maybe more of an emotional mess. They did just lose their daughter. 

JD himself just stayed quiet and tried to be respectful about everything, even if the preacher was blabbering absolute nonsense and bigotted garbage... He almost spoke up about it, but decided against it. He came to be supportive, and somewhat to keep the town off his back. He wasn't about to make a scene.

No, that would come later.

Later, after the Preacher had invited everyone to say some final words to Heather Chandler... When a gritty old man in a light grey tux walked up to the podium and started to speak.

_That's the Mayor... He even came?_

**What's his deal?**

_He's been mayor here for like 15 years... Small town, everyone knows everyone. He knows what to say to people to stay in power, and everyone trusts him so... He's just always been the mayor._

JD blinked, watching the mayor begin his speech.

"Blood-Suckers." 

And, already, JD knew what this whole thing was going to be about.

The mayor continued. "This town has been faced with issues before; the power blowing out last year in the middle of winter, the werewolf who nearly attacked an innocent bystander last month... But Blood-Suckers are an issue we'd hope we'd never have to face."

Yeah, I don't wanna face you either, pal... You look like you sleep around with girls half your age.

The mayor stepped down for a moment, walking around as his booming voice still echoed off the church walls. 

"They've invaded our small town right under our noses, and for all we know continue to walk among us... I knew very well this day would come, ever since the house gave them privacy 17 years ago. I can assure you, we will prepare for further attacks. And, if necessary, we will kill any trespassers we see on sig-"

JD snapped, slamming his hands on the pew in front of him to silence the guy. "Would you shut your trap already!" 

All eyes were on him now, and frankly, he found himself unable to care.

"Is there a problem, young man?" The mayor had asked.

"Are you kidding me?" He growled, "In case you haven't noticed, there's a dead teenager behind you... You dare come up onto that podium, in the house of the God you claim to follow, and bring politics into it? People came here to mourn and pay respects to the family, and so far it seems all you came here to do was take advantage of a tragedy. Have some Damn dignity and save the speeches for the debates." JD had to catch his breath at the end of his outburst... He wasn't sure where that came from, he wasn't normally this confrontational. But, maybe the stress in his body had reached its boiling point. Maybe if He didn't say it now he'd have regretted it for the next eternity. 

He took his seat again, still glaring at the mayor... To his surprise, the man stepped down... And, JD felt a bit pleased with himself. Sure, he didn't know much about Heather Chandler... He knew She glared at him in the halls, he knew she was pretty much CEO of the school, he knew if she'd found out he were a vampire she'd have gotten the school to turn against him in an instant... But, the dead don't speak. At the very least, he supposed they had a right to a nice funeral. They gave Bud one, even though JD hated his guts... But, then again, that was more about making sure his body was deep in the ground and not going anywhere than paying any respects.

At the end of the service, the crowd pools out of the church, and JD found himself trying to hide in it. He saw Heather McNamara pull Veronica aside for a few minutes... He decided to stay out of it and walked back to her car to wait. He reached into his pocket, fishing out a packet of cigarettes and taking a quick smoke. He feels it enter his lungs and stay there for a bit... But, it doesn't tickle at him, nor can it really absorb into his bloodstream or tissue. And, just as soon as it's in, he blows it all out. 

He wished silently that he could get rid of his other problems as easily as that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses. Leave Comments.

**Author's Note:**

> The Long-Awaited Sequel has Finally Arrived!!! While you wait for chapter 2, consider reading my or my friends HallowHeather's stories... Or consider joining yourself since there are a few spots left open!


End file.
